New regional airport opens in St. Francis County COLT (AP) — Officials have marked the opening of the new Delta Regional Airport in eastern Arkansas. State and local officials attending a gate-opening ceremony Thursday at the new facility in Colt. The new regional airport will eventually replace current airports in Wynne and Forrest City. Delta Regional Airport Authority Chairman John Kerr says plans have been in the works for more than 11 years for the new facility. The airport has a 5,000-...

GP announces $40M expansion at Fort Smith plant FORT SMITH (AP) — Georgia-Pacific says it will invest $40 million in an expansion at its Fort Smith plant, which manufactures paper plates and other paper products. Georgia-Pacific said Thursday that the new technology and equipment will increase the Dixie plant's current capacity for assorted sizes of paper plates. The plant now employs 350 workers, but the company says that number may grow once the expansion is complete next year. The compan...

Innovation Industries, Inc. acquires Monitor Elevator ProductsInnovation Industries, Inc. of Russellville has completed the purchase of Monitor Elevator Products of Hauppauge, N.Y., from parent company, Halma of London, UK, according to Paul Horney, President and CEO of Innovation Industries. “Monitor has been a solid competitor with a very strong presence in the Northeast U.S. market for many years,” said Horney. “Since the 1960s, Monitor has developed an excellent reputation for building high quality, ...

Fort Smith woman named in $42M indictment in NJ FORT SMITH (AP) — A federal grand jury in New Jersey has indicted a Fort Smith woman for allegedly engineering the theft of $42 million in a Ponzi scheme centered on a payment, logistics and shipping business. Prosecutors say 63-year-old Shirley Sooy turned herself in to authorities on Wednesday to face charges of wire fraud conspiracy and other fraud-related charges. Sooy is accused of running a scheme for 10 years in which a business called ...

Cotton crop declining, reversal seen JONESBORO (AP) — Despite a steep decline in the Arkansas cotton crop in recent years, an agricultural agronomist believes the drop has neared its bottom and said more acres are expected to be planted in cotton in the future. Arkansas had just below 300,000 acres planted in cotton in 2013 to break the previous record low of 320,000 acres planted in 1983, with analysts saying the rising profitability and yields of corn and soybeans resulted in t...

Governor presents honors to 5 companies LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Five Arkansas companies took home awards for excellence in global trade. Gov. Mike Beebe presented the awards at a Thursday luncheon at the Governor's Mansion. The companies are being honored for leadership in exporting goods and services. Those honored are POM Inc. of Russellville, Harris International of Springdale, Sweepscrub.com of North Little Rock, Triangle Engineering of Jacksonville and Arkansas Steel Associates in N...

Alliance Rubber Co. to expand Hot Springs facility HOT SPRINGS (AP) — The largest rubber band manufacturer in the country has announced an expansion of its headquarters in Hot Springs. Alliance Rubber Company announced Wednesday that it plans to invest more than $600,000 in the new facility and add 15 jobs — bringing the facility's total employment to 166. Founded in Alliance, Ohio, in 1923, the company has had a presence in Hot Springs since 1944 after its founder visited the city for its hot...

Health Reports (May 18, 2014)Public health officials inspect restaurants for foodborne illness risk factors and good retail practices. The following items were listed on reports for Pope County restaurants inspected May 9-14. Notes and corrective actions appear in parentheses. May 9 Dover Market Market Street, Dover Foodborne illness risk factors — Complied with all regulations at time of inspection. Good retail practices — Complied with all regulations at time of inspect...

Arkansas unemployment rate drops in April LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The unemployment rate in Arkansas fell by three-tenths of one percent in April - down from 6.9 percent in March to 6.6 percent. Arkansas' Department of Workforce Services said Friday that the civilian labor force decreased by 8,300 because of 5,100 fewer people unemployed and 3,200 fewer workers. Department spokeswoman Becky Heflin said in a news release that the number of Arkansans without a job in April stood at 86,700 - a...

Russellville Bost employee named 2014 Direct Support Professional of the yearOn May 6, the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) recognized Christina Ponsetta, an employee of Bost, Inc., as the 2014 Direct Support Professional of the Year for Arkansas. The Executive Director for Bost, Inc., Kent Jones, announced “We are extremely proud of Christina and all of the Bost direct support professionals we employ to provide the support and care for the many individuals with disabilities we serve. The ANC...

Russellville City Council welcomes new convention center developer David Hunt brought a Buffalo Wild Wings to Russellville. Now, he wants to build his first convention center with the help of local residents and officials. Hunt addressed both the Russellville City Council and Advertising and Promotion Commission during their regular meetings Thursday. Hunt, president and CEO of H&H Services of Jackson, Tenn., described himself as an entrepreneur who provides businesses such as restaurants, hotels and retail o...

Pryor, Cotton call for Keystone Pipeline to open LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Two opponents in the hotly-contested Arkansas U.S. Senate race joined with officials from a pipe manufacturer Monday to press for approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would move crude oil from Canada to U.S. refineries. Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor and Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, who is challenging Pryor, appeared together at Welspun Corp.'s 800-acre campus at the Port of Little Rock, where they called on Pres...

EPA orders Clean Harbors to pay $581k penalty EL DORADO (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency says Clean Harbors El Dorado L.L.C. has agreed to pay a more than $581,000 penalty for improperly identifying and disposing of hazardous waste; improper storage of hazardous waste; and failure to comply with air emissions standards at its plant in El Dorado. The EPA says the violations were discovered during inspections. Clean Harbors Vice President Phil Retallick says the sale of the produc...

Food distributor to expand, expects to add 74 jobs LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A North Little Rock food distributor announced a $60 million expansion Tuesday that's expected to add 74 new jobs. Ben E. Keith Co. joined Gov. Mike Beebe and local officials to announce that it is building a new 300,000-square-foot facility that will serve as the company's Mid-South Regional headquarters. Mike Roach, the company's president, said he expected construction to begin this summer and take 18 to 20 months to comp...

Oil company donates $250,000 to relief efforts LITTLE ROCK (AP) — ExxonMobil, the company responsible for a large oil spill that polluted a central Arkansas neighborhood, has donated $250,000 on Thursday to aid recovery efforts in the state from last week's severe storms that included a deadly tornado. "ExxonMobil has a long history of helping communities in disaster relief, and we wanted to help here," the company's vice president of operations Karen Tyrone said. "I like the community. I ...

Twisters rouse interest in shelters, safe rooms OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Last year's tornado season wasn't the worst in Oklahoma history, either in the number of twisters or the number of lives taken. But the deadly barrage that killed more than 30 people scared Oklahomans in a way that previous storms had not, moving them to add tornado shelters or reinforced safe rooms to their homes. There's just one problem: The surge of interest in tornado safety has overwhelmed companies that build the sh...

Simmons First buys Community First Bancshares PINE BLUFF (AP) — Pine Bluff-based Simmons First National Corp. says it has an agreement to acquire Community First Bancshares Inc. of Union City, Tennessee, in a transaction worth $243 million. Simmons First said it will acquire all outstanding shares of Community First common stock. Simmons Chairman and CEO George A. Makris Jr. says the bank is undergoing an expansion and that acquiring Community First fits with its strategy. The move gives ...

CEO says Entergy will thrive on industrial boom JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Entergy Corp. CEO Leo Denault is predicting above-average growth in the next five to 10 years, thanks to an industrial boom along the Gulf Coast powered by low natural gas prices. "We see a growing utility with a significant amount of opportunity in terms of the industrial renaissance we see taking place in the Gulf South," Denault said Friday at the company's annual meeting in Jackson, Mississippi. New Orleans-based Ente...